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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Martin M. Swart

Martin M. Swart was born in 1841, probably in New York.

In 1850 Martin was probably living with the Thomas Bell family in Gorham, Ontario County, New York where Martin attended school; a 10-year-old boy named Charles Swart lived nearby with the William Robson family. In any case, Martin eventually left New York and settled in western Michigan by the time the war broke out. (In 1860 there was one Abram Swart living in Orangeville, Barry County.)

He was 20 years old and possibly living in Barry County when he enlisted in Company E on May 13, 1861. (He may have been related to Robert Swart who also enlisted in Company E.) Martin was reported sick in the hospital from July of 1862 through October, on detached service in November and December, serving with the Brigade wagon train in January of 1863 and with the ambulance train from February through July. He was in the Division provost guard from September through December of 1863, on detached service in January of 1864, and at Brigade headquarters in February and at Division headquarters in March.

Martin was taken prisoner at Gaines’s Mill, Virginia on either June 1 or June 2, 1864, confined at Richmond June 3, and sent to Andersonville on June 8. He was admitted to the prison hospital on September 22 where he died on October 18 or 19, 1864, of scorbutus (scurvy). He was buried in Andersonville National Cemetery: grave 11,138.